Kumano Kodo Part 1 - From Takijiri-Oji to Tsugizakura-Oji

What?
Kumano Kodo (熊野古道) is a network of pilgrimage routes and is recognized as Unesco World Heritage. They connect the three grand shrines Kumano: Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Nachi Taisha and Kumano Hayatama Taisha. Nakahechi (中辺路) is the main trail of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage. The trail runs from Takijiri-Oji (滝尻王子) to Kumano Hongu Taisha (熊野本宮大社), but if you only have one day time the usual route leads only to Tsugizakura-Oji (継桜王子).
Where?
The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails are scattered over Wakayama (和歌山県) and Mie (三重県) Prefectures. The starting point of the main Nakahechi Route can be reached by training to Kii-Tanabe station (紀伊田辺駅). From there, buses with number 91 or 95 will lead you to the Takijiri Bus Stop. The Takijiri-Oji Shrine is right across the river and the trail starts behind it.
URL
Tanabe City Kumano Tourism

A few years ago I visited 2 small pieces of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage network. One was the Matsumoto Pass in Mie Prefecture and the other a visit to the famous Nachi no Taki, the neighbouring shrine and a search in vain for two smaller waterfalls. Ever since that time I was planning to visit more of the network and to do it properly by hiking. And now that the moment had come, we chose to hike the first part of the main trail Nakahechi, from Takijiri-Oji to Tsugizakura-Oji. Ideally we’d be continuing to Kumano Hongu Shrine, but unfortunately we only had one day.

If we could wait for the weather forecast to bring good news and decide to go on the spot, we would have picked a clear day. But with busy and conflicting schedules we were forced to plan ahead, and now D-day was finally here rain was pouring from the heavens. Getting out of the bus, the first thing we did was run for the bus shelter to fix our rain gear. We were afraid the rain would make the course more difficult, and in first instance this fear was proven right. There is very good signage all along the trail, but the pouring rain made us look too much down at our feet and the mud they were treading in, and at a very early point we missed the path that was swinging left and we trotted and fell and cursed in mud and dirt and a heap of dead trees. Luckily we realized soon enough that we were not on the right track and we immediately turned back. Nevertheless, those 10 minutes of getting lost made sure my feet were never dry and clean again for the rest of the hike.

When we found the route again we were shocked by the steep ascent of the path. I expected some climbing but not from the first steps we took and definitely not with that vertical angle. So while first we were cursing in the rain, we soon needed to watch our breath and we struggled on without saying a word. The path was clear at this point and when there were no stone steps to show the way, the roots of the trees laid out the path for us. While they form magnificent natural steps, they are treacherous though as they are uneven and slippery. So at this point we really weren’t sure whether we’d make good time.

Roots leading the way.

Very clear signs.

View from Takahara.

A lot of people make towers of stones or something like this.

But after that first ascent both weather and trail went lenient on us. The streaming torrents lessened and the path flattened out with occasional ups and downs, and while sometimes steep never very challenging. We were able to enjoy the lush forest and the actual walking. The little shrines on the way are barely worth mentioning, but they do remind you of the spirituality of the trail. And because of the horrible weather we only crossed a few other hikers along the way making us feel like we were alone in some kind of faraway jungle.

Just when we were wondering if there were any vistas to admire on this trail we arrived at Takahara, a place which you can barely even call a village, but which has clear sights of the mountain ranges on the other side of the valley. With the bad weather they were wrapped in clouds and fog and were a really marvelous sight. Also at the end of the trail, after you leave the picturesque town of Chikatsuyu, the views were awesome as the weather completely cleared up. Continuing up the paved road you start to notice a rise in small places to sleep (minshuku’s) and that’s the sign that you are nearing the end point of this day of hiking, the Tsugizakura-Oji Shrine. The approach to the shrine is impressive with mammoths of trees and three flights of stairs, but the shrine itself is quite small and that is an understatement. Nevertheless this experience made me thirsty for more. Kumano Kodo, I will be back (again).